


Last Hope

by PrincipalCellist



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety, Awkwardness, Getting Together, M/M, Misunderstandings, No Plot/Plotless, No Smut, Short & Sweet, Social Anxiety, just soft bois, there's not much else to say, yet another story I wrote on FF.net being moved over to ao3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2019-11-07 20:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17967581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincipalCellist/pseuds/PrincipalCellist
Summary: Anxiety is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you very far.





	1. Beyond Your Comfort Zone

**Author's Note:**

> _I originally wrote and posted this story on FF.net wayyy back in 2011, so if it's terrible, I'm sorry. Please remember that I was only like 15/16 years old at the time. This story literally doesn't have any real plot - I just wanted Yugi and Atem to be cute and a little awkward and be boyfriends._

Yugi stepped into the classroom with what he hoped was a passive expression. His heart slammed against his sternum so hard, he thought maybe the other students could hear it as well. Some of them had stopped in their note-taking to look at him curiously. Right on cue, he felt his face grow warm and he tried not to look at them. _Of course they’ll wonder,_ he thought, trying to breathe evenly. _I’m late to class on the first day. I’m already fucking up._

He was so deep in his own thoughts, in the continuous beat of his fluttering heart, that he didn’t hear it when the professor stopped her lecture. Didn’t pay attention to anything the woman said about his presence until he noticed that she was staring at him, waiting for an answer. And then, in front of her, the class, and God itself, Yugi said - oh, so intelligently—“What?”

“Please find yourself a seat.” She repeated kindly and Yugi scrambled, trying to remember her name – _Antar? Nashar??_ – It was definitely something like that, he just couldn’t quite—“You can catch up on what you missed with the person next to you.”

He pressed his lips together tightly, nodding sharply. He walked quickly between the rows of tables, taking extra care not to trip over bags as he located an empty seat and fell into it ungracefully. He wondered how that had looked to the others. Was it really as awkward as he thought? He took in a deep breath. _No._ No one was thinking anything. They didn’t even know who he was, and they probably didn’t care. His new neighbor especially; the guy was finishing a phone call with a rushed, quiet, “Yeah, yeah…I love you too, Mana. Bye,” just as the professor – _Ishtar!_ Yugi remembered in a sudden rush of clarity – began speaking again. The guy shoved his phone into his pocket an offered a small smile in greeting. Yugi bowed his head slightly, quickly looking away from his startling gemstone eyes.

_Why did I look away? I should’ve smiled back or at least said hi. Why am I like this?_

Unfortunately, this was how most of Yugi’s social interactions went. He wasn’t unfriendly or shy, just so anxious, it made him awkward. He’d been dealing with it since he was ten, likely before that even. You’d think he’d be used to it, but no. He knew he was being ridiculous, often over thinking the smallest things, but he couldn’t stop. There was something wrong in his head that made everything else feel wrong sometimes. With his friends, he was fine. He was happy and full of laughter – but around strangers? And new situations? Not so much.

His first few lectures had been easy, but being in the actual class was brutal. He had no problem contemplating math, but he died inside when a fellow student asked for an eraser. But he was _trying._ He was doing his damnedest to get over it and not let it ruin his life. Meeting new people was difficult, class discussions were a nightmare, and presentations were a whole new level of impossible – where his face burned and his stomach twisted so tightly, he often felt sick from it.

Living on the college campus, he was surrounded by new faces and hard situations every day. But he could do it. He _would_ do it.

“Now,” Professor Ishtar continued, “It’s our first time all together, so I’ll keep it relatively simple before we jump into the real work. I’m sure you’ve heard from previous students already, but I’m not some other professors where I’ll lecture you and expect you to do all the work yourself. That doesn’t mean I am going to hold your hand either - I do expect you to put forth your own effort. But believe me when I say that I want each and every one of you to succeed.” Her deep blue eyes flickered from face to face. “So today, I’d like you all to work with your partner and write down a paragraph of why you chose this class and what you expect from it and myself. Once finished, you can hand in your papers to me and you’re free to go.”

Yugi’s palms immediately felt clammy; unexpected partner work right off the bat. His eyes flicked over to the guy sitting next to him. He wasn’t ready, but his neighbor didn’t seem to share his apprehension. He turned so his whole body was facing Yugi.

“My name is Atem.” He said.

First name basis? Already? “Uh, Yugi.” He replied, unable to stop from wondering if his neighbor was friendly or just impolite. It was surprising, but Yugi preferred being called by his first name anyway – it wasn’t such a big deal.

“Nice,” Atem replied, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. He took a look at his own notebook full of writing, then glanced toward Yugi’s – which had doodles. “Good notes.” Yugi immediately shut his notebook, the slap of it causing a few students around them to jump and stare. He sank into his seat a little, regretting the action. Atem simply laughed and Yugi closed his eyes, wishing the floor would eat him whole.

“So, Yugi,” He began, leaning his chin into his palm, “Why did you choose this class?”

“Well, I…” Yugi hesitated, not sure if he should give a simple answer, or the long version.

“Personally speaking, I'm only taking this class because they won’t let me study Philosophy without taking this Logic class first. So here I am." Yugi glanced at Atem and saw that the other didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered that he hadn’t answered and he’d had to fill the silence. That gave Yugi a little more courage.

“I like logic, though. It’s simple and makes sense.”

“I’ll be borrowing your classwork from time to time, then.” Atem said. Yugi laughed nervously, but he wasn’t sure if that had been a joke or not.

“What’s your major?”

“Archaeology.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’m really into History and Cultural Studies. I like to discover things. It’s fun learning what makes us all different, or how someone might have lived before they died, even though it’s sometimes sad when you come across a civilization that faded away…" He smiled, gaze growing distant.

"My grandpa used to travel all the time, he’d tell me the most amazing stories. There’s this one I remember him telling me when I was young, maybe six or seven…he’d told me about the remains of a woman they’d found once. There was a skeleton of a infant in her arms, like she’d died holding it. It was the first time it really hit me how sad it was. That woman had a child, had a whole life of knowledge, and now no one even knew what her name was or who she’d been. She could’ve been a teacher, or a farmer. She might have had someone she was in love with. As a kid, it was just mind-boggling to me that you could live your whole life and it could mean nothing in the end, if you didn’t leave something behind.” Yugi blinked, coming back to reality. He’d really gone of on a tangent there, holy cow. “Um, anyway. I just want to learn what I can while I’m here and maybe give others something to learn about when I’m gone.”

Yugi set his elbows on the table and rubbed his cheeks, knowing that he was pink. Atem had sat there during his whole monologue with his head in his hand, but he hadn’t looked bored. In fact, his eyes never once moved from Yugi’s face. Somehow the idea of him watching and listening to him so intently made Yugi all the more embarrassed.

“I get it.” Atem finally said. “You’re very smart.”

“I don’t think I’m any more intelligent than anyone else…”

“Being smart isn’t just about intelligence, Yugi.” He said gently, lifting his chin out of his hand. “You don’t seem like just another pretty face with big dreams.”

Yugi’s laugh was sharp, coming out like a bark from the blunt compliment. He covered his mouth with his hand, wincing at how loud it had been. Yugi had never thought of himself as exceptionally attractive or anything, but Atem had said it so seriously, so blankly that Yugi had to wonder _did he really mean it?_ If he didn’t already know better, Yugi might have thought that Atem had meant it as a flirt.

_But that’s dumb. Why would he bother flirting with me?_

_He’s just being nice – trying to make me loosen up. That’s all._

Atem’s phone beeped, signaling a text message. He cast Yugi an apologetic look as he pulled it out, momentarily halting their conversation. _It’s probably his girlfriend,_ Yugi thought with a sudden sense of disappointment. He looked away before he could catch him staring like a creep. While he tapped on his phone, Yugi quickly wrote down a short paragraph of what he expected from the class and the professor. Then he shoved his notebook back into his bag, said a quick, flustered “bye” to Atem, made his way to the front of the room, pausing only to hand off his paper to Mrs. Ishtar, before he booked it out of there.

Yugi couldn’t wait to be back in his room and in his comfy clothes, to be alone – but Atem was on his mind for the rest of the day. He thought and thought about their whole interaction with a wild scrutiny: he shouldn’t have ran away like that. He shouldn’t have been so flustered. He definitely shouldn’t have talked as much as he did. He should have asked Atem about his major, or what he liked to do in his free time. Yugi didn’t even know his age or his last name. Atem must have thought he was so rude.

But, even though Yugi was sure he’d made a fool of himself, he wanted to see Atem again. He was actually looking forward to it. He’d probably embarrass himself once more, but it was worth it. He felt like maybe they could be friends. Atem could introduce him to his friends, too – like the one he’d been on the phone with. Mana?

There was a pressure sitting on his chest - Atem had said that he loved them.

But what did that matter? So what if he had a girlfriend? There was no reason Yugi couldn’t be his friend because of that. Lord knows he needed more friends since he’d left his other friends in Domino to come to this school. Heck, Anzu wasn’t even in the same country.

Yugi heaved a great big sigh, falling face first onto his bed.

* * *

The next day of class, Yugi couldn’t stop his eyes from instantly scanning the sea of faces, locating Atem almost right away. He was sitting by himself near the back of the room. When he looked up from his table, their eyes met and Atem suddenly stood up, a piece of paper held in front of him with only one word written in bold, black marker: **YUGI.**

A few people tittered at it and Yugi rolled his eyes – but it was too funny to be embarrassed about. He marched up the steps and snatched the paper out of Atem’s grasp as soon as he was close enough, crumpling it into the ball.

“I bet you can’t hit the trash can from here.” Atem said.

“What are you, five?” Yugi commented back, shrugging his bag off his shoulder, but the paper ball was still in hand.

“Twenty-two, actually. Are you going to take the bet or not?”

Yugi pretended to think about it.  
“You can’t make a bet without any stakes.”

“I’ll come up with something eventually.”

“I see.” Yugi tucked the ball into his bag with a grin and took his seat. “Then I’ll just hang onto this until you do.”

And so it went for the next following weeks. Yugi would walk into class and Atem would signal for him to come over to the table he’d chosen. For days, Yugi got to to socialize like a normal human being, got to ogle at Atem when he saw him on campus. He was often alone; people liked him, but he seemed to enjoy his own space. However, Yugi did often see him with a smaller girl.

 _That must be Mana,_ He supposed. She seemed like a lovely girl, drawing attention where ever she went. He could tell that she was friendly, she was always smiling and laughing and she was so cute…they probably would have been really good friends, if they met. But something in his stomach squeezed every time he saw her, and he hated that he felt that way because he didn’t even know her and it wasn’t her fault he was swallowing the bitter pill of envy. He bet Atem and Mana were very happy together.

Yugi wasn’t stupid. He knew what it meant. The blushing, the nervous talk, the fluttering in his chest… It wasn’t just his anxiety anymore. It had only been maybe three weeks, but he was attracted to Atem. He _liked_ Atem. And he knew the longer he let himself feel that way, the worse the fluttering would get. So he tired to stop it; he kept his gaze off of Atem. He kept the conversations strictly friendly. At the end of class, he was the first to leave.

“I think I know what I would like to bet,” Atem finally said one day, his hand clasped around Yugi’s wrist to stop the other from running out of the classroom.

“O-oh?” Yugi turned his gaze down to Atem, curious despite the very real warmth spreading up his arm from their point of contact. “I guess now would be a good time to tell you that I’m not too good at sports.”

“Don’t worry,” He held out his hand, gesturing to Yugi's bag. “You won’t be throwing it.” Interest piqued, Yugi withdrew his arm from his hold and placed the wadded up paper ball in his palm. “Are you free tonight?”

“I – what?”

“If I make the shot, you have to hang out with me.”

Yugi’s brain instantly short-circuited. _Not like that,_ He reminded himself. Atem probably meant with his friends, too. And Mana. “I can’t.” He blurted. “I have a lot of classwork to finish.” _Now I’m lying. Great._

“Hm, then…if I make the shot, you have to give me your number.”

Yugi was baffled. “You don’t need to make a bet with me for that.”

“No?” In a sudden, swift movement, he tossed the ball and they both watched as is sailed through the air, landing perfectly in the garbage bin near the door. “Well, it seems now you don’t have a choice.” He smirked as he pulled out his phone and waited until finally, after a moment of internal debate, Yugi read off his number to him.

“Cool, cool.” He said, still grinning. “I’ll text you the time and place, so if you finish your work early…” He left his sentence open as he gathered his things. “Well, you’ll know where to find me.” He got to his feet and gave Yugi a light tap on his shoulder. “See you, Yugi.”

_What if…_

Yugi stood there for a moment longer, feet rooted into the ground as his mind tried to catch up with what just happened. His phone went off, and he pulled it from his bag to see that Atem had already texted him the details. ‘This is Atem,’ it read, followed by a time and place, as he had promised. ‘Come find me,’ a second message said, ending with a winking smiley face.

_What if…_

Yugi brought the phone up to his face, tapping the screen against his forehead, hiding his burning cheeks. He felt the tightness of his throat as he remembered _it doesn’t mean anything._ Atem was just cheeky like that. He was already with someone else and happy and he was probably just wondering why Yugi never did anything outside of class. He was just being nice.

_But what if…_

Yugi was glad that he’d said no, but he wished that he had said yes.

* * *

Once 6:30pm rolled around, Yugi was pacing in his room, phone pressed against his ear as Jou let out a disbelieving gasp of, “Hold up. Am I hearing this correctly?” He sounded scandalized. “Mutou Yugi is going out in _public_ on a crowded Friday night to meet _another guy?”_

“Might!” Yugi replied quickly, making another turn at his bed. “Maybe! I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

“You like this guy, right? Think of the good that could come from it!”

“Thank of the bad!”

“Oh, please. What’s the worse that could happen?”

“Humiliation. What if I get there and trip over my feet? What if his friends hate me? What if I drink and end up getting sick? What if I don’t drink and they think I’m boring? What if I walk in on Atem and Mana making out? Or—”

“Good Lord, Yugi. You’ve really given this a lot of thought. Too much thought.” Jou sighed. “Look, man. I know it’s tough for you, but it’s really not that big of a deal. I wasn’t telling you to go out and pretend to be someone you’re not. Just, you know – go out and have a good time. Stick with Atem if you feel comfortable with him and go from there.”

“But what if…I’m sure he’ll want to be with Mana.”

“Do you even know if he’s actually dating her? Have you even asked?”

“No, I don’t need that heartbreak in the middle of class.”

“Well guess what? You won’t be in class tonight.”

“I can’t just come out of the blue and ask something like that!”

“Sure you can. Just be curious, ask, and then – boom! There. You can wonder no more. In fact, it’s a good conversation starter.” There was a clatter, then some distant yelling. “Jeez, hey – I got to go Yugi. Sorry!”

“No, it’s okay. I understand.”

“Make sure you tell me how it goes!”

 _“If_ I go.” Yugi stressed.

“You better.”

“Sure. Bye, Jou.”

“Later!”

Yugi sighed as he locked his phone, staring at the clock on his wall for a whole minute. “This is so stupid.” He finally muttered, grabbing his jacket and his keys before he had the chance to change his mind. But he couldn't change or stop the small, hopeful voice that continued to whisper, _what if…_


	2. Letting In

Atem could see Yugi approaching in the distance and he couldn’t help the wide, dumb grin from curling his lips. He had worried that maybe he’d forced Yugi’s hand with the whole bet-thing, or that texting him the winky-face might have been a little much, but it seemed everything was okay. Yugi was here and Atem couldn’t stop the glowing bundle in his chest from warming his entire body. He hadn’t actually been so sure if Yugi would show; a gut-feeling told him the answer would likely be no, but he’d wanted to _try,_ at least.

Trying to tame his grin, Atem pushed off of the metal fence that surrounded the patio of the bar, lifting his hand in a wave as he called out to Yugi. Even from across the street, he could see the deep breath Yugi took. Finally, he lifted his hand in acknowledgement, offering Atem a small smile.

“Uh, hey.”

 _Ugh,_ how on earth was he so cute? It was illegal – it had to be.

“I hope you didn’t have to walk far.” Atem said once he’d jogged across the road. “It’s chilly out tonight.” He huddled into his jacket collar dramatically for warmth – and to hide his face in shame because _what the hell?_ Did he seriously just talk about the _weather?_ He could have kicked himself, but Yugi didn’t even seem to notice the cliché topic.

“No, I live on campus.” He replied simply, seeming more comfortable standing on the side of the road in the brisk breeze than actually going inside of the bar. His nose was pink.

“Neat. I was thinking of that, but I wanted my own place. I saved up to get a small studio down the block. I couldn’t get away from home fast enough.” _Stop talking, idiot._ “Too much expectations and…yeah. Besides, I like having the space to myself.” He winced at himself. Way to overshare.

But Yugi – bless him – didn’t seem to mind. Or, if he did, he didn’t point it out.  
“So, you got me out here.” He said, shrugging. “Now what?”

“Well, first I should tell you that it’s just us two. My friends couldn’t make it since they already had plans.” But that part didn’t bother Atem. He liked the idea of it just being them this time. He’d been startlingly attracted to Yugi the moment he’d sat down next to him in class the first day, but was left in confusion when Yugi started to bolt out the door. He’d been afraid he had said the wrong thing somehow, but eventually he realized it wasn’t personal; Yugi didn’t seem to like being around people he didn’t know in general. So maybe it was better that his friends couldn’t make it after all.

“That’s fine.” Yugi replied, and Atem could see the line of his shoulders even out as he relaxed. Atem wanted to say something witty and reassuring, but nothing came to mind. His mouth felt like sand.

“Um, do you want to go inside, or—?” He saw Yugi’s body tense up as he gestured back to the bar, eyes widening just enough to portray some type of horror. “—or we don’t have to.” He said quickly. “If it’s not your thing, that’s completely fine with me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Atem nodded. “Honestly, I don’t really drink anyway. And bar food is so greasy that it gives me the worst shi—” He slammed a hand over his traitorous mouth, ears burning. Why would he even say that? But Yugi laughed, delighted by Atem’s blunt honesty.

“I don’t drink, either.” He admitted, but Atem never thought for a moment that he did. He’d only suggested this place because it was closest to the school. “I don’t think the café on campus is open, though. Is there anything else around here?”

“Well, at risk of sounding really creepy; do you like games?”

“What kind?” Snap. Just like that, Atem had Yugi’s complete attention. He was actually making full-on eye contact now.

“Any kind? Video games, puzzles…but I was mainly asking about board games. I know it sounds childish, but I’ve always enjoyed them. I have a bunch back at my place if you want to just go there and hang out. Unless that’s weird, then forget it.” Atem added swiftly.

“I need to call Jou.”

“Um, who? And why?”

“Because I’ve found a new best friend.” Yugi said simply, and he actually did pull out his phone and type something rapid-fire before locking the screen again. Atem laughed breathlessly, tugging on a stray strand of his hair. “Yeah, let’s go. That sounds great!”

“Okay.” Atem managed, successfully not choking on his own spit.

* * *

“So why did you decide to go to school here?” Yugi asked, accepting the bottle of water Atem offered. Their now-two hour game of Monopoly sat on the coffee table, awaiting Atem’s next turn.

“I just…” Atem trailed off, leaving the space between them silent. He twisted off the cap of his water and took a drink, thoughtful. It wasn’t like his home life had been _terrible,_ just…a lot. There was always pressure for him to be successful, to be a leader - like his father. It wasn’t as if no one ever considered his wants, but it was expected of him to take over the family business regardless of them. In short, it was rather suffocating, but Atem wasn’t sure if that was too much to share on a first date.

Not that they were on a date, first or otherwise. They were just hanging out. It was casual.

Atem sighed roughly, rubbing his forehead. “Family shit.” He finally muttered. “I just needed a break.” He looked back up and smiled. “What about you? Why did you come here? What’s your family like?”

“Uh, actually…” He set his bottle down on the table tucked his legs underneath himself. “My parents are dead. I lived with my grandpa until recently and helped him with his shop. I came here because…well, I have issues. With anxiety.” He blew a stream of air up toward his bangs. “It’s hard for me to be around strangers or crowds. It’s like a friends-with-benefits relationship…there’s no love, but my anxiety just like fucks with me sometimes, you know?” He folded his hands. “I wanted to be more independent. I wanted to prove that I could live through it. Not to anyone but myself, really.”

“And how is that going?”

“Oh, it’s…going.” Yugi managed a small smile. “But what doesn’t kill me, right? And I don’t know why I am… Why I’m like this. I ask myself that almost every day and I wish I had the answer.”

“And you hate not having the answer.”

“Of course I fucking hate it.” He said, a bit heated. Atem bit his lip, wondering if maybe he pried too much – but Yugi was still going, “A lot of the time, it’s irrational. I’ll take the long way to my dorm just to avoid someone I already passed because I don’t know if it’s acceptable for me to say ‘hey’ again. I won’t correct the barista when they get my order wrong, I just drink it because maybe caramel is what I wanted, but the vanilla they gave me is what I needed. It’s exhausting. I feel like I’m constantly fighting a boxing match that no one can see, but I am determined to knock it out.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Oh, no.” Yugi’s eyes flick back up, his edges softening again. “Atem, it’s fine. I’m not annoyed or mad at _you._ I honestly enjoy talking to you – it’s like fresh air. You’re so easy to talk to.”

“Good.” Atem was relieved. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I like talking to you, too. I think you’re fun to be around and I—” There was a beeping from his phone and Atem cut off to pull it from his pocket. It was just a text.

“Um…your girlfriend?” Yugi wondered.

“Hm?” Atem hummed, distracted by the apology Mana had sent him for missing out tonight. She also added in a promise that they could hang out tomorrow – with an excessive use of emojis that made his brain hurt.

_Girlfriend._

“What?” Atem whipped his head up at Yugi, shocked. “No. Oh, no. It’s my best friend, Mana. She was supposed to hang out with us tonight.”

“Oh.” There was surprise in the short word. A lot of it.

“Yugi, you…” Atem shook his head, trying to figure out where he’d gotten the idea that he had a girlfriend when Atem was spectacularly gay. Had Yugi actually never noticed when he was flirting with him? Atem had thought Yugi wasn’t interested, that he was just being polite and ignoring the come-ons. But this whole time… “You thought I had a girlfriend?”

Yugi’s lips pinched and his face steadily became redder and redder, but he stayed silent, which was answer enough. Gathering every bit of courage he had, Atem scooted closer to Yugi, leaning down a little to catch his gaze. He wanted to make sure this was as plain and clear as it possibly could be.

“I don’t have a girlfriend, Yugi.”

Atem saw the impact of his words, saw the jump of Yugi’s jaw. Watched as Yugi’s eyes darted down to his mouth and back up. Watched as the glittering amethyst grew closer, and then their mouths connected and it was like someone lit a bonfire inside of his chest. His nerves buzzed like electricity, but before he could sink himself fully into the feeling, Yugi was pulling away, on his feet, a new look of panic on his face.

“I’m sorry,” he said, a hand jerking up to run through his hair. “I didn’t – I just –“ His face crumpled and he twisted around, bolting from the apartment before Atem could even fully catch his breath.

“Wai—Yugi!” He began, stumbling up to his feet as the front door swung shut. His lips were still tingling, the only proof he had that the kiss hadn’t just been his imagination. “What.” He said into the new quiet, and it offered him no comfort. Atem thought about running after him, but Yugi had been so fast – and he didn’t even know which dorm block Yugi lived in.

What had he done wrong? He was so confused and the fire in his chest was now an ice block, sitting heavy on his gut. He fell back against the couch, dazed. He thought about the kiss. He thought about Yugi. He hadn’t meant to scare him away, he didn’t know what caused it, but clearly he had done something and he was unbelievably angry at himself. And hurt.

Fuck, it hurt.

* * *

Yugi never contacted Atem the next day and Atem didn’t either, despite how much he wanted to. Several times he found himself staring at his phone, thumb poised over Yugi’s name in his contacts. But what could he say? Yugi clearly didn’t have anything to say to him and didn’t want to see him.

Okay.

* * *

Asking around campus didn’t help, either. Not many people seemed to know Yugi and the few who did didn’t share any classes with him. Atem even spent extra time on the grounds, hoping their paths would cross at some point.

They didn’t.

One girl said Yugi had come back to the dorms late on Friday looking upset, but she didn’t know anything beyond that. Atem wanted to call him, or even just send a text, but he had the feeling Yugi wouldn’t even look at it. He just wanted to know what happened – what he did. Why Yugi had run away like that.

* * *

They had class together on Tuesday. Yugi was religious about coming to class every day, so they'd meet eventually. Yugi couldn’t avoid Atem forever. He would pull him aside and speak with him then. It would be okay.

Everything would be fine.

* * *

Atem had to admit, he was a little bit in love with Yugi. Now he was heartbroken over a guy he'd known only for like a month.

Atem didn't often cry himself to sleep, but that night was special.

* * *

Yugi skipped class. Atem slumped in his seat in disbelief, eyes focusing on the empty chair beside him. He must have done something really awful that Yugi would willingly miss class just to avoid him. It was like a knife dragging up through his torso. He pulled out his phone, not even bothering to be discreet. He would text first, then. His only hope was that Yugi would at least read it.

But that wasn’t enough. He couldn’t just sit around and hope. Atem had to find him.

With a loud scrape, Atem pushed himself up and out of his chair, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Someone asked him what was wrong, and he managed a quick, “stomach-ache” as an excuse before he left. There was an Advanced Logic class somewhere in the next building. Maybe Yugi was there. Atem had to talk to him – he couldn’t just leave it like this. If he had to apologize, he would. Gladly.

_Please let him be there._


	3. Chapter 3

Yugi was far too nervous to go to class on Tuesday. Going to class meant facing Atem, and he just wasn’t ready. He didn’t know how to act now. He didn’t know what to say to remedy the whole situation or how to apologize for kissing him without asking – he had no explanation for why he ran away like he did. His mind had went white with panic and his feet had just carried him out of the apartment before the more rational side of his brain could stop it.

For all he knew, Atem now thought he was beyond weird and probably didn’t even want to see him anymore. That would explain why he never called or even sent a message over the weekend. Not that Yugi did, either. So maybe that was his fault, too. He couldn’t always depend on others opening a line of communication. He had the option of sending a text, too.

Yugi never expected to avoid Atem forever. He knew sooner rather than later he needed to go back to class and have a proper talk with him. He even had written a few dialogue options in his notebook, like a proper twit would. But until he gathered enough of his nerve to face Atem, he’d spend his time attending the Advanced Logic class and be thankful that he’d read ahead in the textbook. He knew the regular class began when the advanced class ended, so he had at least one guaranteed day where he wouldn’t run into—

Yugi was nearly knocked off his feet as he rounded a corner and literally ran into Atem.

Of _course_ he did. How serendipitous.

Atem’s fingers curled around Yugi’s elbow gently, partly helping him stay upright from them bouncing off each other and partly securing him so he couldn’t run away. Yugi glared weakly at the floor and couldn’t help the light, humiliated warmth from touching his cheeks. He couldn’t look at Atem’s expression, worried what he might see there. Either anger or concern, and Yugi wasn’t sure which one would be worse to face.

“What are you doing here?” The words came out with a bit more bite than he meant to have, and Yugi winced at himself. Out of all the things he could say, all the things they should talk about, he went with that. And in that tone. He was a dick.

“I go to school here.” Atem replied simply.

“I meant _here_ here.”

“I figured this is where you would be.”

Yugi nodded as if he understood, but he didn’t. Atem had purposely sought him out, and that hadn’t been a scenario in any of his dialogue options.

“Can we talk, Yugi?”

“We’re talking right now.” And Yugi looked up just in time to see Atem’s face harden, just the slightest irritation breaking through. “Sorry, I’m just—yeah. Okay. We can talk. Of course we can talk – what do you want to talk about?”

“Do you want to do this right here in the middle of the hallway?” Atem asked, releasing Yugi’s elbow now that he was sure he wouldn’t bolt again.

Yugi thought about offering his dorm room, but he really couldn’t imagine being alone with Atem during this. He was already burning alive with his jittering nerves. For the first time, Yugi thought a public space with some overlying noise would be better.

“No, I don’t,” He finally said. “What about the café? It’s nearby.”

“Sure.”

Atem stepped back and allowed Yugi to lead the way. They quietly walked to the small café, and Yugi felt like the awkwardness was going to suffocate him. At one point, the back of Atem’s hand brushed against Yugi’s and he jumped, immediately twisting his hand into a fist so his fingers wouldn’t reach out and snag Atem’s.

“Sorry,” Atem muttered, but neither of them acknowledged it after that.

When they got to the café, Yugi was simultaneously relieved and let down that it was almost empty. He was glad it wasn’t crowded, but he had been hoping for a little more background noise than just the smooth jazz playing over the speakers. Atem sat at a table in the corner, away from the counter, opening his palm to the other chair in a request. Yugi fell into in ungracefully and finally met Atem’s eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Atem said immediately, folding his hands in his lap.

Yugi blinked. “Why?”

“Just – you know. Kissing you. I’m not sure what I did, but you ran away so quickly I figured I must have done or said something wrong – so I’m apologizing for it. I never wanted to make you uncomfortable or scared and I’m sorry the night ended that way.”

“I’m…confused.” Yugi said blankly. Why was Atem blaming himself?

“I don’t mean to confuse you, either – but I admit I spent the whole weekend confused myself, wondering what happened. It’s just…” Atem’s lips tightened, and he set a hand over his mouth, trying to block Yugi from seeing the darkening of his cheeks. “I really like you, Yugi. I don’t want to screw it up before it's even begun.”

“No, I’m confused on why you think you did something wrong?”

“You ran away after we kissed.” There was a blankness in his statement that hinted a _duh._

“I left because I thought I freaked you out. I kind of just kissed you without any warning or permission and I got scared—wait, you like me?” Yugi’s mind had finally caught a hold of what Atem had said.

“I like you.” The answer was instant, no room for argument. Yugi felt his toes curl.

“So…you’re gay?”

“I thought me telling you I didn’t have a girlfriend and kissing you established that.”

“I…yeah. I guess it would, huh.” Yugi sat back in his chair, astonished. Amazed. Hating his anxiety more than ever before, but thankful that it hadn’t ruined his shot with Atem after all. “Wow, I’m such an ass.”

“Is there anything I can get for you?” Someone asked, and Yugi looked up to see a pink-face barista standing by them, blue eyes definitely focusing on him. “Or…would you like a pastry on the house? We’re about to switch out the case and I thought I’d ask.”

Yugi dimly realized that the barista was mainly talking to him, maybe even flirting, and he blinked dumbly, unsure of what to say other than an unintelligent “Uh…”

“He’s with me,” Atem suddenly said, his hand reaching out over the table to take Yugi’s. “And I think we’re okay for now.”

The girl flushed and apologized quickly, scurrying away.

“I’m – what?” Yugi asked, and Atem’s cheeks blazed.

“Sorry, I got – I mean if you want to be. Together.” He coughed, looking more embarrassed than Yugi had seen yet. His fingers began to loosen and Yugi redoubled his grip, keeping their palms pressed together.

“Yes!” He said a bit too loudly, giving Atem’s hand a firm squeeze. “I mean, yes. Okay. You don’t really have to ask since…I want to, yes.”

“Thank God,” Atem breathed, tilting his head back in relief as the tense line of his shoulders evened out. “I spent all weekend convincing myself that I’d messed up. I even hung around the campus, hoping to get a glimpse of you.”

“You did? I’m so sorry – I thought I’d gone too far and I freaked myself out, I guess.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad I’m so tough.”

“Oh, I’m sure you weren’t affected at all. A true manly man.”

“Not one tear.”

“I’m detecting a bit of a lie.”

“Maybe one single tear.” He relented, and Yugi laughed even though he felt bad about making Atem cry - despite how inadvertently it'd been. “So, now that all of that is resolved, can I asked you out on a first date now?”

“Friday wasn’t one?”

“No, that was supposed to be an actual friend hang-out.”

“Suspicious that no friends could make it, though.” Yugi hinted.

“Fine. Do you want to just go back to my place and hang out then? We can talk and play more games and stuff.”

“And stuff?” Yugi repeated, eyebrow arching slightly. Atem laughed in a way that made his eyes crinkle, and Yugi loved that.

“No. No 'stuff.' Just games and talking.”

“Sounds good.”

They both got up from the table, still joking around. Atem’s hand touched Yugi’s again, and this time it lingered. And Yugi’s palm opened. And Atem’s fingers found their way between his. And they both glanced at each other and looked away just as quickly, cheeks burning as their breath fogged the air.

When they got to Atem’s apartment, they truly did nothing else but talk. They sat on the couch and talked about a list of random things, hands still connected as they moved forward into their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like my relationships like a like my tea - with a good heaping of COMMUNICATION.
> 
> There we have it, a short 'n sweet ending for a pointless story about a couple of dudes being gay and getting together. That's it. That's all this was.
> 
> Find me on [tumblr!](https://principalcellist.tumblr.com/) :)


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